A LEIGH nightclub has been banned from playing music and all future venues owned by Colin Royle must also be music-free zones.

Pubs, clubs and other night-time venues in Leigh have been given a sharp warning by the High Court following the hearing for Mr Royle, who traded as Est. 1899 Nightclub on Railway Road without a licence.

The music ban was served by Mr Justice Norris, who heard the case in London, and ordered legal costs of almost £1,800 to be paid before August 11.

The judge was told that Mr Royle, who was not in court and not represented, was caught playing copyrighted music at his venue when he did not have a licence from music royalties collectors Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL).

The ban not only applies to his current establishment but extends to any other premises Mr Royle runs until his licence is up to date or he could face fines of up to £10,000 and six months in prison for contempt of court.

Mr Royle was caught after a PPL inspector visited the premises on April 16 and heard music being played when no licence was in force.

PPL's counsel Maxwell Keay said that solicitors had sent letters to the premises informing Mr Royle of the nature and extent of PPL's repertoire and the fact that the playing in public of sound recordings without a licence or permission constitutes infringement of its copyright, and inviting him to acquire a licence.

The imposed ban applies to all forms of mechanically recorded music, such as records, tapes and CDs, in PPL's repertoire.

Christine Geissmar, operations director at PPL, said: “There is an intrinsic value that recorded music adds to businesses and this judgement acknowledges that the performers of the music and record companies should be fairly rewarded.

“Businesses that choose to play recorded music without a licence may face legal action and financial and other consequences as a result.

"Legal action is only ever sought as a last resort where a business continues to play music following repeated attempts from PPL to get the correct licensing in place."

PPL issues licences to hundreds of thousands of businesses and organisations across the UK when they play recorded music to their staff or customers.

These include bars, nightclubs and shops, as well as hotels, offices and gyms.

After the deduction of PPL’s running costs, all licence fee income is distributed to PPL’s record company and performer members, with the majority being small businesses, all of which are legally entitled to be fairly paid for the use of their recordings and performances.